1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to temporary support structures used in soft and environmentally sensitive areas to construct roads and pads to support heavy equipment and the like.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Wooden mats and roads have been utilized for many years particularly in the oil and gas industry to provide temporary roads and pads for construction equipment and heavy trucks in areas that are environmentally sensitive or inaccessible due to poor soil conditions during the rainy part of the year. These roads and mats are typically constructed one piece at a time and are very time consuming and labor intensive to construct.
As pressure on labor markets increased and time constraints on construction tightened, some mat systems appeared on the market, and worked well to relieve the labor and time problems. However, when the wooden mats are laid piece by piece, the number of plys of lumber were determined by the soil conditions and the size of the loads to be hauled across them. The mat systems commonly used today are three ply systems. As a general rule, fewer plies of lumber are required to accomplish the same result as elevation increases above sea level. For example, a mat having four plys of lumber may be necessary to support typical oil industry equipment over a wet site close to sea level, while a mat having only two plys of lumber may be adequate to support the same equipment over a dryer site located well above sea level, etc.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for temporary matting for use on constructions sites to satisfy the aforementioned needs.
The mat of the present invention includes, in general, a bottom ply having a first end edge, a second end edge, a first side edge, a second side edge, and at least a first opening therethrough; and a top ply having a first end edge, a second end edge, a first side edge, a second side edge, at least a first slot extending into the first end edge of the top ply, at least a first tab aligned with the first slot in the first end edge of the top ply to and extending out of the second end edge of the top ply, and at least a first opening therethrough; the top and bottom plies are attached to one another with the first opening of the top ply positioned over the first opening of said bottom ply, with said first end edges of the top and bottom plies substantially aligned with one another so that the first slot of the top ply extends over a portion of the bottom ply, and with the second end edges of said top and bottom plies substantially aligned with one another so that the first tab of said top ply extends outward of the bottom ply.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a temporary support structure comprising a two ply, interlocking mat system that minimizes costs and maximizes the use of labor, equipment and material to provide temporary access to construction sites regardless of weather and soil conditions.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a temporary support structure comprised of a plurality of two ply mats of rectangular configuration that interlock with slots or tabs on all sides of the mat.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a temporary support structure in which the upper and lower layer of each mat are perpendicular and all boards on each layer are uniformly spaced to minimize cracks and maximize strength of the mat.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a temporary support structure in which the slots and tabs on each mat are uniformly spaced and of sufficient length so that, when two or more mats are properly butted or joined together, every slot and tab is overlapped by at least it""s width.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a temporary support structure which provides a very stable working area when the mats are locked together using the slots and tabs on the side of the mats, because the slots and tabs of the surrounding mats hold each mat in place.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a temporary support structure in which a temporary road or pad can be constructed by lifting the mats with forklifts, cranes or other suitable equipment